Q: Congratulations on getting into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. What were your thoughts on the induction?

	Grandmaster Mele Mel will host the Pittsburgh Hip-Hop Awards Sunday night at the Downtown Hilton. Click photo for larger image.

A: I wasn't expecting to get in. I thought there were a lot of other groups that might have been more worthy to be inducted in the Rock Hall of Fame than us. There are a lot of other worthy rock groups. As far as hip-hop groups, I don't think there will be that many more that will make it to the Hall of Fame.

Q: You definitely had the breakout song. What were the circumstances of recording "The Message"?

A: It was a record that nobody really wanted to do. My part of "The Message" we took from a record we previously did for a label called Enjoy Records, and the main part of "The Message" was written by the percussionist from the Sugar Hill Gang. But nobody wanted to do "The Message." Nobody thought it would be a success except for [Sylvia] Robinson.

Q: Did you think the subject matter was too heavy?

A: At the time everybody made party records, so we didn't think people could relate to a record that wasn't about partying. "Planet Rock" was the hottest record out, and if you think of that as a coin, this was the tail end of the coin. Night and day. The record did hit, though, and it changed rap and it changed the group.

Q: Tell me about your new record, "Muscles."

A: It's a very balanced album of what people would expect me to do, my traditional fans, and then stuff that's like if someone didn't know me and just listened to a song by someone now. I think it's the best album that I ever made, personally. The thing that makes it unique, we didn't do any features, and no samples. It's just me for 16 tracks.

Q: Are you a fan of hip-hop, where it is in 2007?

A: Not necessarily where it is in 2007. I always have a love of true hip-hop music, but all that gangster stuff, you know, I'm a grown man, so that don't do nothin' for me. Some of the beats are good, but nowadays it's just music for younger kids. It's not for older people anyway.